Bye Terrells!

Today I went with the rest of my family to the airport as they left for Ethiopia! I thought it would be a great time to have a blog entry of fun photos from the trip; unfortunately, I can't figure out how to get the photos off of my dad's camera and onto my computer. . . So, you will just need to contact my parents when they return to see photos!

We had a great last day as a family. Our friend and chef at Kwa Babu made us lots of Swedish pancakes for breakfast. We went back to our church and had many good-byes there. In fact, we were literally the last people at church. Felt just like home :) We then returned to Kwa Babu and had some cupcakes and good-byes with our Tanzanian family. The friends we have made here are so so wonderful; this place really is home away from home!

Dropping my family off at the airport was quite sad. We haven't spent six weeks together in years! We are so blessed to have been able to share this time and these amazing adventures. Luckily, the ride back dispelled the downer mood, as a civil engineer, two nuns and I rocked out to Mariah Carey.

I'm sure many of you will see my family soon and be able to hear in person more details of the trip. Otherwise, feel free to email!

Blessings,
Jenny

Safari!

After the Kill

We had an amazing time on Safari. The Serengeti is beautiful. The above picture was taken in the early morning, after the female lion had killed a zebra (we didn't see that part of it). The way the whole animal kingdom was alerted to the kill was amazing. Hyenas, jackals, vultures, and other smaller animals surrounded the lions at a respectful distance, just waiting for their turn of the spoils. It was fascinating to watch!

We are now back in Arusha. Tomorrow, four of us leave Tanzania. Jenny will stay behind. She will live at Makumira University until October, tutoring a young Tanzanian girl and volunteering at an NGO.

The rest of us will continue on to Ethiopia where we will meet up with the Haines' for a few days and get to see the orphanage they will be the house parents for for the next two years.

We will be back in the U.S. in six days. We are all feeling sad that our time is nearing an end, although we are beginning to look forward to some things we have been missing (on my part, coffee that is not instant coffee and hot showers!).

Blessings to all,
Sue

Mt Kilimanjaro!

We recently returned from a six-day "hike" up Mt Kili! What an experience! We hiked for four days to arrive at Kibo, the last hut enroute to the top. We arrived at the hut around 3:30 pm and promptly took naps. We got up at 5 pm for a light supper and then went to bed until 11 pm. We dressed in our warmest gear and started the final climb to the summit at midnight. Unfortunately, Ellie started to experience some altitude sickness and had to descend back to the hut. Jenny and Luke blazed ahead of Tom and me. At around 3 am, our guide told us we had now ascended to 5,000 meters. Only 800 more meters to go . . . after calculating that we were climbing at the rate of 100 meters per hour, we decided 8 more hours before reaching the summit was too much for us and we returned to Ellie. Our hopes were now pinned on two little hobbits, wandering somewhere off to find the center of Mordor (or something like that . . . haven't we heard that story before??). We went to sleep feeling somewhat guilty for being warm and snug, knowing J and L were battling the elements.

At 8:30 am, we were awoken from our sleep by the return of Jenny and Luke. They had reached the summit! Congratulations to the two of them and to all of us for a great trip on the face of Mt Kilimanjaro. It was an experience we will never forget.

Jenny and Luke at the summit of Mt Kili!

We arrived back in Arusha two days ago to rest and recuperate. Tomorrow, we head off for a six-day camping safari. It is our last big African "misadventure" before we fly to Ethiopia and then home.

Blessings to all,
Sue

Back to Arusha

Jambo! Salaama! A quick note from Ellie :)

It's my first post on the blog, and I don't even know where to begin...It's been such an incredible adventure this past month and a half. Luke and I had an incredible time at the farm where we learned about permaculture farming and sustainable energy, as well as made some great friends and picked up the essential Kiswahili greetings. Luke was busy building wooden bed and door frames, revamping a "bush fridge" (it was a cooling fridge that didn't need any electricity), and perfecting a ginger beer recipe, while I kept busy painting signs, cleaning and upkeeping outside communal areas, and preparing various composts for the future of the gardens. I was given the exciting and daunting task of designing and painting a mandala on a 6 foot tall water tank! Overall we had a fantastic time together, and hope to return in the future to see the farm's progress.Aurora Farm, in Kikokwe (Pangani)!!

Jenny, Mom, and Dad came and spent the night at the farm and we traveled by boat the next day to Zanzibar for a relaxing week on the beach and in Stone Town. We spent 3 days in Nungwi at a lovely hotel right on the beach, and we spent our days exploring and shell gathering. We were able to see the bargaining for fish done on the beach, and ate a delicious traditional lunch at a tiny shop in the town behind the resort area on the beach. Although we all enjoyed our stay immensely, we felt a little strange around mostly all tourists and wazungu.

Getting on the boat to leave for Zanzibar


On the beautiful white sandy beaches of Zanzibar!! Luke must be standing on his toes here... A traditional fishing boat (dhow) is behind us


Our meal of wali (rice), beans, and samaki supu (fish soup). YUM :)


After Nungwi, we traveled to Stone Town in Zanzibar and spent 4 days exploring and enjoying the food and atmosphere. We went on a spice tour (where we got to taste and smell fresh herbs and fruits that grow on the island), shopped at the small stores on the streets, drank REAL coffee (a nice break from the instant AfriCafe), went to church built on top of the last slave market in Africa (it was built the year after slavery was abolished), and celebrated Luke's 20th birthday on top of a palace that was converted into a gorgeous hotel. We ate amazing food throughout the trip, and enjoyed the hot sun and pole pole lifestyle (slow and laid back). After our stay in Stone Town we flew on a tiny 12 person jet back to Arusha. Luke got to sit in the cockpit next to the pilot, and we all were holding our breath that he wouldn't accidentally press the "eject" button.

An open fish kabob in Stone Town where we ate some delicious Red Snapper, Baby Shark, Lobster, and coconut bread for dinner! We chose our kebobs and watched them grill it right in front us of. Then we topped it off with a nutella and banana crepe. Incredible!

That's all for now! Love to everyone.
Ellie

Usambara Mountains, Pangani, and Zanzibar!

We have left Arusha and are traveling. Jenny, Tom, and I went to the Usambara Mountains to take a hike through this beautiful area. We stayed in the guest house of Lutindi Mental Hospital--some good stories to tell when we get home.

After this, we went to Pangani to meet up with Luke and Ellie. Of course, there were more traveling adventures along the way. I will just say that if you are in Pangani and someone comes up to you and offers to let you stay in a German doctor's summer home while he is away, run as fast as you can to the other side of town!

Luke and Ellie had a great four weeks on the farm. We stayed the night, then took a local boat over to Zanzibar. Advantages to local boat: cheaper; you are supporting local business; it is an adventure; you really do feel all the waves. Disadvantages: you get moderately wet and fairly dirty; you may lose all the contents of your stomach over the side of the boat into the Indian Ocean; you may feel a bit nervous about the ominous rain clouds just ahead of you as the boat is tossing and turning enough when the water is calm. We chose the local boat, and five hours later, were safely on the island of Zanzibar.

Since then, we have been enjoying beautiful waters, gorgeous sunsets, and great food. Today we took a Spice Tour, which was a lot of fun.

We are loving being a family of five once again and enjoying each other's company in the exciting country of Tanzania!

Hope you are all well,
Sue

P.S. Once again, it seems our internet connection is too slow for the pictures to load. We'll just have to have a big power point presentation when we get home!

Hi Friends!

Hi Everyone! This is Jenny, and at the demands of a dear friend I am posting on this blog. . . I’ve been here four days now and everything is going great! I’m happy to say that somehow in five short weeks, my parents have made so many friends that my social calendar has stayed just as busy as it was in Washington, D.C. Seriously, I don’t really know how that is possible, but we have been all over Arusha meeting different people for lunch, coffee, etc. There are such interesting new friends, and an absurdly large number of people from Minnesota (I can’t get away!!).

Otherwise, I’ve been working on my Kiswahili (except today when for some reason a Tanzanian friend and I attempted to speak in Spanish) and eating a LOT. Later this week my parents and I are going to try to go to Lutindi, which, among other things, is known for its tea (I Can’t Wait!!!) and then soon will meet up with Ellie and Luke. During our brief phone conversation the other day, Luke gleefully informed me that he has fleas and Ellie said she will have to throw out most of her clothing, so I can’t wait to hear more of their adventures J They sounded like they were having a wonderful time!!

Today among other activities, we waited to sit in on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get in (we will try again tomorrow), but we did have a two hour long conversation with a journalist who has been covering the genocide for the past 17 or so years. So interesting, in of course a very depressing way, but I’m definitely hoping to educate myself a bit more.

That’s all for now, off to bed. Much love! Lala salama (that’s my favorite phrase “sweet dreams!”)

Jenny

She's Here!

Jenny arrives at Kilimanjaro Airport!

Back at Kwa Babu, a feast was prepared for Jenny's arrival

Jenny has arrived! We are so excited to have Jenny join us! Tom and I hired a taxi to take us to the airport to greet Jenny. We had to pay for the gas before we started. It was so great to see Jenny get off that plane! (Yes, we were able to look through the window and see her walk off onto the tarmac).

The real adventure began as we started to go home. The taxi started stuttering and stopping. We coasted into a petrol station and now paid for the driver to add more oil. We slowly limped out onto the road and listened to the transmission crunching the rest of the way home. This was definitely not a taxi to be out on the highway. We were all holding our breath and praying for this little cab, but it finally made it back to Arusha!

We have been showing Jenny around and helping her make connections. We are rationed to about two to three hours of electrical power per day. The energy crisis has worsened due to the drought, which means not enough water to power the hydroelectric dam.

So, the power has gone off again, and I will sign off to save the computer battery for other things!

We are well, we are excited, and we continue to have a great adventure!

Sue

Vignettes

Early Morning Sights and Sounds
Every morning at 5am the call to prayer comes out over loudspeakers for all our Muslim neighbors in Arusha. It is so much a part of life, I usually sleep right through it.
At 7am, the soft swish of a wet mop in a bucket of water can be heard outside our window as the concrete patio is cleaned of the dirt and dust gathered the day before. Similarly, buckets of water are thrown onto the dirt streets from shop owners to try to control the swirling dirt and dust that is part of everyday life. Every night, I blow a day's portion of dirt out of my nose (thank goodness for cilia!).
I have not broken myself of the habit of daily morning warm showers. The "daily" part is always there. The "warm" is dependent on the electricity and the whim of my particular shower. Some mornings, it is scalding hot and I can only tentatively and quickly stick a washcloth in the water to then use on my body outside of the shower. Some mornings, it is quite cold, so ditto the preceding sentence. And some mornings, the water just stops mid-shower (and usually mid-soaping). I try to take very quick showers!
Life Challenges
The other day I was in the front seat of a dala dala. While we were waiting for it to get enough people on board to leave, I noticed a crippled man crawling by. He had flip-flops on his hands, but nothing on his knees. The lower limbs of his legs dangled at odd angles as he crawled along. He came to a busy intersection, and to my amazement, started to cross the street. I have a difficult time doing this without getting hit, and I am a tall person by Tanzanian standards. I couldn't imagine how he would ever make it across the street. But slowly, inch-by-inch, he managed to get across. The gutter proved to be the challenge for him. It was about 12" high to the sidewalk. He easily put his hands up on the walk, but he struggled valiantly to pull his legs up behind him. He finally succeeded and proceeded on his way. My attention wandered. Five minutes later, I realized he was getting ready to cross the next street in the intersection. I surmise he was crawling to his usual post to sit and beg for the day.

Tom and I visited a village earlier in the week. We went inside a house that could only be called a hovel. It was 8' by 8.' It had a door, but no windows, so once inside it was quite dark except for the wood fire burning off to one side. There was a mattress along one length of the room, the only piece of furniture. The house was made of mud with a few pieces of wood stuck through it to give it some support. The interior walls were completely covered in newspaper from floor to ceiling, I assume as an extra layer of insulation. The man who lives in the house with his wife and baby said that he rents his house, as he cannot afford to buy one.
Traveling Experiences
We were traveling with a Tanzanian friend and needed to get on a dala dala. As we approached the area where the dala dalas wait for customers, our friend was surrounded by young men, shouting, pushing and jostling him to use their dala dala. It started to become unruly, but our friend calmly kept walking. Tom and I got caught up in the melee. I felt a man's hand slip into my jacket pocket. I removed it and slapped his fingers, as a mother to her recalcitrant child. Once inside the dala dala, I told Tom what had happened. He then noticed that his Lutheran Malaria Initiative wristband had been removed and taken. May whoever now has the band wear it in good health and never get malaria!
Colliding Worlds
We were sitting inside Dolly's Patisserie (run by an Arabic family) in downtown Arusha eating a chocolate croissant. I had ordered chai ni mahziwa (tea with milk). I took a sip as I was reading an article by Mahler on my Kindle. I commented to Tom, "This just tastes like milk. I don't taste any tea." "I'm surprised you ordered your tea with milk," he said. "I always have milk with my tea at home," I said, a habit I picked up long ago while visiting England. Tom looked at me and said, "Sue, you are far from home. You are in Africa, thousands of miles away." Yes . . .Kindles, Mahler, chocolate croissants, British tea, Tanzania. . .what a world!

Sue

P.S. We have been without electricity for two days, so I can't afford to use up my computer
battery downloading pictures. Hopefully, next post I will be able to include some!

Transportation

One of the challenges of Tanzania is the transportation. There are very few roads and fewer still that are paved. What we consider a two-lane road is the type of road connecting major cities. However, “two lanes” is a mere suggestion here. I have counted up to five vehicles abreast, not counting the pedestrians, piki-pikis (motor bikes), and bicycles. There will be one vehicle occupying each side of the “normal” space on the road. Then, there will be cars trying to pass on either side of these two cars. Finally, there will be an impatient individual who decides he isn’t getting there fast enough, so passes between the middle of the two lanes.

There is also no right-of-way, for pedestrians or for those going straight ahead when there is a crossroad. Cars backing up do not wait for a pedestrian to walk by. They just back up. It gets a little hairy near the round-abouts. Everyone is trying to get through, people are trying to cross the street, and no one seems particularly concerned about what the next driver is trying to do.

Today, I had my first ride in a dala-dala. This is the most common form of transportation (other than walking). A dala-dala is a sixteen-seat passenger van. However, here a dala-dala will hold up to twenty-five people at one time. Ours today had twenty-one people in it. When we first got on, Tom stepped aside, thinking he was being nice in letting me have the one last seat (or so we thought). I started to sit, but the man behind starting thumping on his seat, motioning to a 12-inch space beside him (literally a twelve-inch space). That was to be my seat. Well, my hips haven’t measured twelve inches across since shortly after my birth, so it was a bit of a struggle. I was jammed next to a woman on one side and the man on the other. His elbow nestled into the space above my hip bone and remained there the rest of the journey, as jammed in as we all were.

So we started off. The van rarely stopped completely when just one person was getting off. It would slow down while the passenger disembarked, and then speed back up before the door was closed. The price, however, was “right.” It cost us 300 tshillings, the equivalent of about 33 cents, for the ride.

The photo below is of a typical dala-dala. I was severely scolded for taking this picture by the driver of the van. So, even though it is nothing special, enjoy it as I took this at my own peril!

Yako ananana (see you later),

Sue

Well, the picture wouldn't upload--you'll have to use your imagination!

We made it!

Jambo! Ellie and Luke here...

We've only been here three days but so much has already happened. After our 3 flights and 24 hours of traveling, we finally arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport (see pic!). Our dad, Sister Florencia (from the retreat center we're staying at), and Kakasi (our soon-to-be safari guide) met us there and drove us to Arusha.

Being a white person (mzungu) here is quite the experience. Strangers constantly greet us with the few English words they know, and laugh at our poor Swahili. Our mom is notorious for misusing Swahili phrases. She greeted Ellie this morning with, "ninafurahi kukuona!" (nice to meet you!).

Right now Ellie and I are chillin under Luke's mosquito net at the Catholic retreat center we're staying at. It's awesome here- our own rooms and really good food (see pic). We get so much food here, which fits in nicely with Luke's get-swole-for-the-summer-workout-plan.

Yesterday we went to a snake farm (see pic). On the car ride there the radio played Wiz Khalifa, good to hear our main man has an international audience. The snake farm was sweet, they had huge pythons, cobras, and a Black Mamba, the world's deadliest snake (known as the 7 step snake because if you are bitten you may become unconscious after taking just 7 steps.. 95% fatality rate for people who are bitten!).

Last night we had an interesting dining experience... We went to the "Rambo Shine Bar" and each ordered kuku (chicken) and chips. The chicken was, to say the least, inedible. It gave new meaning to the term "rubber chicken." I actually think if we had dropped it on the ground, it would have bounced. Our dad definitely was served the neck, and Ellie got something that didn't come from any obvious part of the chicken anatomy... It's ok though, we knew the streak of great meals had to come to an end at some point!

The two of us are off to Pangani tomorrow on the oceanside to start a month of working on an organic farm. The farmers recently got new puppies, and we're pumped to do some physical labor and play with animals! It may be a while before we're able to blog again, but we'll try to update when possible.

Kwa heri, yakuonana baadaye! (Bye, see you soon!)

Outside the Maasai Cultural Museum by the snake farm.

Some of our Tanzanian friends selling mahindi (corn) outside the retreat center.

Our dad tried out for a band that plays at weddings. They said they'd contact him if they ever needed some comic relief.

Ellie playing with a Black Mamba at the snake farm. (not actually, this is just a harmless tree snake!)

Our first meal at the retreat center!

Arriving in Tanzania!

First Tanzania pictures!

We (Sue, Ellie, and Luke) are not leaving for Tanzania for two more days. However, we just received some pictures from Tom, so thought we would share them with you. He went on an all-day fishing trip which he said was great: he doesn't speak Swahili and the fishermen didn't speak English, (plus Tom doesn't really swim!), so it was quite the adventure! Here are the pics:

Fisherman Tom!

Mt Kilimanjaro peaking through the clouds

The UN Rwanda Criminal trials from the 1994 genocide are happening now in Arusha.

Tom was able to attend the trials yesterday.

I can't wait to get there and eat some "fat spread!"

Back in Chicago, we are madly making last-minute preparations for our departure. Next post from Tanzania!

Sue